New Zealand Parole Board -

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(1) of the Parole Act 2002

Stayz Te Atamira RAUKAWA

Hearing: 21 June 2017  at  [withheld] via AVL from New Zealand Parole Board, [withheld]

Members of the Board:

• Judge L Bidois – Panel Convenor
• Ms S Pakura
• Mr S.A.M Perry

Support Persons:

• [withheld]

DECISION OF THE BOARD

1. Stayz Raukawa is for reconsideration of parole. He is serving three and a half years for multiple sex offences. His SED was 20/10/15, his PED was 9/11/16, his SRD was 19/12/18. Mr Raukawa is today supported by [Withheld].

2. Mr Raukawa came before the Board on 20 April of this year at which time he had previously completed  [withheld] and  [withheld] programmes but had no suitable address. He had strong [Withheld support, showed victim empathy and accepted responsibility for other unrelated offending. Parole was declined and Mr Raukawa was rescheduled for this sitting of the Board principally to look at an approved address and whether a  [withheld] programme could be offered in the community.

3. Mr Raukawa does not realistically seek a grant of parole although he now has suitable accommodation in  [withheld] which has been approved.

4. What has emerged from the Parole Assessment Report is that a  [withheld] Programme is now available and is recommended for Mr Raukawa.  Mr Raukawa accepts that he needs to complete this programme.

5. Mr Raukawa was advised that we had seen the victim this morning and she considered that Mr Raukawa needed to complete a sex offender’s programme before he was safe to release to the community. She acknowledged strong family support for Mr Raukawa.

6. Mr Raukawa has maintained good behaviour. Mr Raukawa has not had the opportunity to complete an offending-focused rehabilitative programme. That is now available to him. In the absence of completing such a rehabilitative programme Mr Raukawa poses an undue risk to the community and parole will be declined.

7. The  [withheld] programme is to be completed in October. The Board sees a need for a period of consolidation and will reschedule Mr Raukawa for the February sitting of the Board, no later than 28/2/2018. For the benefit of the next Board we call for a Residential Restrictions Report on the proposed address recognising that Probation have completed such a report for this sitting.

8. Parole had earlier been contemplated by the April Board but matters have now been overtaken by the availability of the [withheld] programme.

Judge L Bidois
Panel Convenor